


Immutable

by Sashataakheru



Category: Pocket Monsters: Gold & Silver & Crystal | Pokemon Gold Silver Crystal Versions
Genre: Body Dysphoria, Community: hc_bingo, Evolution, Explosion (move) - Pokemon, Gen, Identity, Leaving Home, Original Pokemon Trainer - Freeform, POV: Pokemon, Pokemon Journey, Trans Character, everstones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-09
Updated: 2015-08-09
Packaged: 2018-04-13 18:50:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4533234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sashataakheru/pseuds/Sashataakheru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Young trainers and old pokémon don't always make fast friends. But sometimes, all it takes is a common thread to bind them together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Immutable

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt 'explosions' for hurt/comfort bingo round six. Card is [here](http://3evilmuses.dreamwidth.org/80770.html). 
> 
> The Geodude narrator is based on one I caught early on in my first play-through of Gold. She was caught on Route 46, and she was holding an everstone. I usually assume Pokémon caught holding everstones don't want to evolve, and I wondered why she'd decided against it. This is the result of my ponderings. 
> 
> This also exists because apparently all my brain could think of when I looked at the prompt, 'explosion', was a Golem exploding on a mountain, and causing srs hurt to a trainer. It was meant to be from the POV of the trainer, but this geodude turned up instead, and wanted to tell her story. 
> 
> Alsoalso, gdi, why are all my Pokémon fics so damn long omg.

People called it Route 46; we call the mountain Ganyin. We call ourselves Ganyin, too; where do they think the rock that makes up our bodies comes from? People have their own names for us, of course, but we don't see many people here. The land is rough and hard to climb. People have cut their own paths through the rock, but they stay in the safe land, away from the mountain. Mostly, they leave us alone. 

I've lived here a very long time. The mountain gave me life many seasons ago. I've watched the mountain change, seen the brave young children come through the gatehouse at the base to try to catch Pokémon. I watch them with their first partners, learning to battle together. Sometimes, they succeed; sometimes, they don't. Sometimes, they catch a part of the mountain, and take them away with them. 

Perhaps I am too old to be down here with the young, but I prefer the peace. I don't protect them; they would think themselves too weak if they needed protecting. Instead, I watch, and listen to the echoes in the rocks from the mountain, and try to keep most of the real dangers away. 

Many of the older ones live further up the mountain. I don't really know what they do up there. Tales echo down about them burying deep into the rock to build their power. The land rumbles from their battles and explosions. The power they can summon has caused landslides and earthquakes. They only trouble the birds and the rats who don't have bodies made of rock. But there aren't many of them around. They scavenge at the very base, close enough to escape through the gatehouse if trouble strikes. I listen to them flee for safety, and the silence that settles until they return. 

I blend in down here. My body is still hewn from the original rock that formed me all those seasons ago. I never evolved. I didn't want to, not once I discovered the peace down here. I can hide amongst the young. I would be too obvious if I was grown. And our evolved bodies are just so awkward. I can get into the smaller spaces here, and navigate much better. I can move faster and get out of the way. A larger body would just slow me down. Sometimes, it's better to flee than stand your ground and try to ride out the impact. 

Sometimes my body wants to change and grow; I can sometimes feel it in the heat of anger, that energy building up, ready to transform me. But it is muted and weak; it will never flourish while I carry this stone with me. We call them coldstones, because they feel so very cold no matter what heat is applied to them. Nothing seems to be able to affect them or make them change; they are the hardest stones I've ever found, impervious to water damage or even the sharp bite of diamond. They are found in a particularly deep part of the mountain, only accessible to a select few who know the way. They have a peculiar mineral signature, with some strange elements mixed in. Nothing on the mountain tastes like those stones do. But they stop evolution. As long as you carry one, you won't evolve. Mine is slung around my round body with a strip of cloth I found at the base. I think it once belonged to a human, though why it was discarded, I will never know. Humans do tend to discard an awful lot of material on their travels. The cloth used to be yellow, but years of dirt and wear have turned it brown, and it blends well with my body now. At least I can still climb the mountain, and feel the cold pulse of that stone against my body, knowing I am going to stay as I am. 

I talk as if I am still on that mountain, and in many ways, I still am, but I left there long ago. My body is all of the mountain that remains with me now. There was a child, of course. There is always a child, if not an adult. They came through the gate after dark, which rarely happens. Most of the young trainers come through during the day. But not this one. A totodile walked beside them, as wide-eyed and young as their trainer. I did not think they would be much of a threat until the child sat on one of our kind, mistaking them for a rock. I do not blame a young, inexperienced trainer for not knowing the difference, particularly at night. Even experienced trainers can't tell the difference. If not for the danger such an act offered, perhaps I would have ignored it. 

The explosion ripped through the base almost immediately. Some of us do not like being sat on, and exploding is a defence mechanism. Perhaps it is overkill, and for many, hitting out with our arms is usually enough to deter anyone from standing on us, but some are more prone to exploding. I sometimes think they are more sensitive to the intrusion and lash out with all that energy without thinking. 

It certainly scars the landscape. It isn't so obvious down here, because it's more common higher up, and there is more vegetation here to burn. Some of the grass had caught on fire, as had some of the surrounding trees, and smoke filled the air. It was clearly not a young one the child had sat on if they had unleashed that much raw power. I could hear the spearows and hoothoots crying as they flew off, fleeing the chaos. Rattata scurried back to the gatehouse, back to where they preferred to scavenge, shrieking as they went. 

The blast had knocked me back up the hill, and I nearly fainted as I crashed against a boulder. It had definitely been a powerful attack, one of the most powerful I'd felt down there for many seasons. I knew I was dazed, and didn't bother moving until my mind was clear. I felt a small chip come away from my body, snagging on the cloth holding my stone against my back. The elders can slowly repair their bodies, of course, but if I'd wanted that ability, I'd have evolved by now. I took a moment to remove the chip, and shifted the stone into its place, making the chip less apparent. A chill through my body as it touched the fresh surface made me flinch. 

The confusion took a while to fade. Once I felt I could move, I slowly made my way back down the hill to survey the damage. Most of the young ones had fainted. Only those further away had barely managed to hang on. Many had never experienced an explosion first-hand, let alone one that big, and those who hadn't fainted looked around with fear in their eyes, wondering what had happened. I went to the young first, gathering them up to somewhere that was safe and away from the smoke. I wanted to make sure I hadn't lost anyone. 

Some of them, as they came round, asked what happened. "Granna," they said, "what was that?" "Just an explosion. You're strong enough to survive it. Just rest for now," was all I felt I could say in response. Dazed and confused as they were, I didn't think anything more complicated was worth the bother. They accepted this, and seemed to relax, as if they had been worried it was something much worse. 

I counted my charges, once I was sure I'd gathered them all, and realised I was one short. One of the very youngest, she'd only been alive down here for a few days. She was quite shy, and smaller than most of us. I wasn't surprised I'd missed her in the smoke and chaos. Leaving them to recover, I went back down the hill to the base of the mountain to see where she might have gone. 

I made the ground tremble, just a little, to dislodge sand that would extinguish the flames. It wasn't a perfect way to put out fires, and I couldn't quite reach some of the trees further away from me, but without water pokémon, it was the best I could do. It made the smoke worse, which didn't help, but at least some of the danger from fire was gone. I pressed a hand to the ground and listened, trying to sense any movement from her that might give away where she'd gone. Living rock gives out a certain energy, and it's how we can find each other when we're tunnelling underground. I felt something move across the other side, though I wasn't sure what. There were shadows around, and smoke, and there wasn't enough light for me to discern what it was. 

I followed the energy until I found her under one of the trees. She'd been knocked back there, and had left a dent in the trunk. As I picked her up, I saw a flash of blue, and remembered the child and the totodile who had caused the explosion in the first place. The totodile was awake, and panicking at the still body of its new trainer, shoving them to wake them up. 

"Calm down, will you?" I said to the totodile as I approached, trying to see if there was anything I could do for the child.

The totodile hissed and cried, and its reply was lost in its panic. All I caught was that they'd only been together for a few hours, and suddenly their trainer was dead, and what were they going to do now? There was a lot else said between that, though, and as I tried to make a bit of room around the child, I was greeted by a spray of water. At such a low level, the water didn't concern me, but it was an irritant I didn't need as it still weakened my defences. My young charge couldn't take it, weakened as she was, and I felt her faint in my arms. I returned the gesture with a glare and threatened to knock them out again. 

"I'm just trying to help. Now, get out of my way," I chided, forcing my own way through.

The totodile decided then it was probably wiser to give in, and backed off, though it fidgeted as it sat there, a claw prodding the child's leg. I gently lay my youngest charge by a nearby trunk to wake, knowing she would be fine. Ignoring the totodile, I rolled the child over, trying to see if they were still alive. There was blood on them; I think they'd hit their head, and there were some grazes on their skin. I sometimes forget how easily these humans get hurt, particularly the smaller, younger ones. And the child had been very close to the explosion. No wonder they looked dead. 

I have always found the differing appearances of humans to be very interesting. It seems rather more obvious than it perhaps needs to be, but as our kind have very few physical differences that are apparent to anyone else, perhaps I pay more attention to it. This child was certainly interesting. They were dressed like many of the boy children I'd seen, but their face was more like the girl children. It was hard to know for certain; it was dark, and they were injured, and perhaps they were younger than I thought they were. 

I pointed back into the trees as I turned to look at the totodile. "See if you can find some blue berries back there." 

It offered a quizzical look, and I almost went to do it myself, but it seemed to understand then, and disappeared, running back into the trees. I returned my attention back to the child. There were definitely signs of life; I had grown used to feeling the presence or absence of life, particularly in young rattata. The spearow sometimes preyed on the newly born young, and not always for food. The bodies were tenderly buried by their mothers in the ground, if they hadn't been carried off. 

If you've never spent any time watching rattata in the wild, they are much better than their reputation suggests. They are attentive parents, and their scavenging keeps the place clean. There is one particular female rattata who makes a point of taking all the human rubbish she finds to the gatehouse, expecting the humans to deal with their own trash. The humans didn't appreciate this at first, but she persisted until they got the point. 

But there were no rattata around at that moment, as the child lay still under the tree. I wasn't sure the child would survive without human help. That no one had come from the gatehouse already suggested there was no one around, or they didn't think it was serious. Though they can't have been blind to the child's presence, if they'd passed through the gatehouse at all. There is no other way through; the trees and bamboo are too tightly packed to allow any passage without cutting your way through. 

The only other place I knew of that would provide help was in the next town, where the Pokémon Centre was. The nurse who works there comes here every so often to treat any sick pokémon she finds. We're pretty good at taking care of ourselves for the most part, but some things only she can treat. She's particularly good with the baby rattata. She's the only human I have any regular contact with. I wasn't sure how I'd get the child to her, though, or if she could even help humans the same way she helped us. But without help from the gatehouse, she was my only other option. 

The totodile returned then, laughing as it presented me with the remnants of the berries it had found. Blue juice stained its snout, and it at least looked healthier from eating them, which is what I was hoping for. There were three berries left, and I gave one to my youngest charge as I saw her begin to come round. It wouldn't heal her completely, but it would give her the strength she needed to return to the higher parts of the land to rest. I made sure she was alright and sent her on her way, charging the others to take care of her. 

Once she was gone, and I could stop worrying about my own kind, I turned my attention to the child. I had two berries left, and I had no idea if they would heal a human the same way they healed us, but I didn't think there was much to lose. 

The child seemed to blink, then, hearing their pokémon making such a racket beside them. They didn't wake, but their breathing seemed stronger. I offered a berry to their mouth, hoping they might eat it, but I don't think they had the energy for it then. 

"We'll have to take them to Cherrygrove. If berries won't work, that's our only chance," I said, looking at the despondent totodile, who was leaning on their trainer's body, unsure what to do.

"Where's Cherrygrove?" the totodile said, sounding a little calmer than they had before.

"Not far from here. But I don't know how we'll carry the child. Go to the gatehouse and see if there's anything useful there that might help," I said.

The totodile didn't want to leave its trainer again, and squirted water at me in reply. Rather than fight it, I left it there and went myself, just to get the job done quicker. There wasn't time to argue with it. 

The gatehouse has a strange smell; I don't know what it is exactly, but I always find it strange on the rare times I go inside. It's a small simple building, and the doors are rarely locked so anyone can pass through there at any time of day or night. It's usually staffed by a ranger or two, particularly at night, just to keep an eye on it, but tonight I saw the desk was unattended. As I went to climb the stairs to the guesthouse above, I saw a flash of light outside, and heard someone drive up to the gatehouse. I hid behind the desk, just in case it was trouble, but as soon as I heard that chansey, and the voice of the nurse, I knew there was no trouble at all, and went to meet her.

"I heard the explosion from the centre, and came as fast as I could. I've never heard one that big before, was anyone hurt?" she asked. 

"A child was hurt, this way," I said, pointing outside. I've never been entirely sure whether humans are able to understand us at all, but I speak anyway. Perhaps her chansey passes it on to her.

She seemed to understand, and followed me to where the child was lying. They were a little more awake, but they would need treatment. The totodile panicked, seeing her approach, and squirted water at her in a bid to protect their trainer. 

"Calm down, gator, she's here to help," I said, offering another glare to make the water pokémon back off. 

The totodile began speaking again, both glad and panicked, but not even the chansey seemed to understand any of it, and threw me a puzzled look as it spoke. The nurse didn't seem fussed by this, and knelt down to inspect the child.

"Can you hear me? Can you speak at all? How do you feel?" the nurse said, addressing the child. 

There was a groan, but no movement. She took out a torch and looked at their injuries, trying to ascertain how bad they were. The totodile didn't look happy seeing her touching their trainer, but didn't try to stop her. Perhaps it was finally understanding that she was trying to help. 

"Alright, Chansey, go get the stretcher, we'll need to take him back to the centre. I'll be able to treat him better there," the nurse said.

"Right away!" the chansey said in her sing-song voice and dashed off back to the gatehouse. 

"Are either of you two hurt?" the nurse said to us. 

The totodile cried, but I was sure it was fine. It just didn't want to leave its trainer. I was also fine, though I was tired. We don't really get physically hurt, but it takes a while to replenish our energy from a blast like that. I looked for the two berries that remained, but found they had disappeared into the totodile's mouth. Of course they had. I have never met a totodile that didn't love its food. 

I had planned to stay behind once the trainer and the totodile were in the nurse's care. I had no reason to go with them, and I wanted to stay with my own charges and make sure they were alright. The totodile wouldn't let me stay behind, though, and only calmed down once I was there with them as we made our way back to Cherrygrove City. 

There wasn't much to do at the Pokémon Centre, either, except try to keep the totodile from eating everything in sight as a way of dealing with its anxiety. The child was taken in for treatment, and the totodile stood in front of the door they'd disappeared into and stared at it. It was the only thing keeping it from panicking, though it didn't stop it crying. I couldn't make out everything it was saying, but it felt bad for having let their trainer down, and promised to try harder so it could protect it next time. 

By the time they were brought out to recover, and the totodile was allowed to see its trainer, much of the night had passed. I had planned to leave then, knowing they'd be fine, but the totodile grabbed my arm and brought me with it. It leaped onto the bed and snuggled beside its trainer, happy to see them. The child had seen me before I could slip out again, and called me over. I rose up to the bed, though I kept back, not wanting to get involved with a trainer. The child proved to be rather resilient for a human, and had less serious injuries than I had first thought.

"They told me a geodude saved me. Was that you?" the child said.

"Yes, that was me. You should be more careful of the rocks you sit on," I replied, unsure how well they could understand me. 

"Why have you got that cloth around your body? Were you hurt as well?" the child asked, seeing the cloth holding the coldstone to my body.

I turned away, keeping the stone away from them. It was my stone, and if the child couldn't understand me, there was no way I could explain what it was. Then I felt a hand touch the stone, and I moved away as fast as I could, returning to the floor. I saw the nurse then, standing beside the bed, and guessed she had touched it. 

"No one touches the stone," I warned, a hand touching the ground ready to summon up an earthquake, "or I'll make the ground tremble with your fear."

"She carries an everstone, that's why the cloth is there. It holds it against her body. Everstones stop evolution," the nurse said to the child.

How the nurse had known what it was, I don't know. I can't recall ever showing it to her. But at least she could explain it to the child. I relaxed a little, but I was still wary. 

"But why wouldn't you want to evolve? You'd get big and strong if you evolved," the child said, offering a confused look.

"Evolution changes a pokémon into something completely different. Not all pokémon want to undergo that. They like the way they are, and this geodude seems happy to stay a geodude, rather than evolve into a graveler," the nurse said.

"Oh, right. I've never met a pokémon that didn't want to evolve. But then I've only ever met my totodile, so..." the child's voice trailed off, and they looked at their totodile, who hugged them with its tiny arms at the mention of its name.

I got the sense the child had wanted to say something else, but wouldn't say it while the nurse was around. This struck me as odd, but I wasn't sure I was curious enough to stay and find out. I did need to get back to my charges. 

"You're from Newbark, aren't you? I'll call your parents and let them know what happened to you. You'll be fine with some rest, but please, be careful what you sit on!" the nurse said.

"I will, I promise. I live just outside Newbark with my grandmother. She looks after the windmills," the child said. 

"Ahh, yes, I know the place. Does she know you've left on your journey? How long have you been away?" the nurse said.

"I only left this evening. Like, just at dusk. I wanted to go during the night. I don't like the fanfare the others get when they leave. I just wanted to get my starter and go. So Professor Elm was happy to meet me this evening, and give me everything I needed and made sure I got out without anyone noticing. We don't all want to be champions. Sometimes, we just want to be ourselves," the child said. "You can call him, if you like. Professor Elm will know I'm gone."

"So does your grandmother know you're here or not?" the nurse pressed.

The child lowered their head, and I sensed the answer was no. What child leaves home this young without telling anyone where they're going? That seemed odd, and the nurse thought it was odd as well. 

"Don't tell her I'm gone. Just – if you have to call her, just tell her to see Professor Elm. He'll tell her everything," the child said. "Maybe I should've left a note for her, but I just wanted to leave, and she was busy with the windmills, like she always is, and I didn't want to bother her, so..."

"Alright, I'll call Professor Elm, just to see what he says, but I don't like leaving your grandmother out of the loop. But if that's what you want, I won't call her. Just try to rest, but do consider calling her yourself. She'll be worried that you've gone without telling her where you are, and you did get hurt, after all. Promise me you'll call her?" the nurse said.

"If I say yes, will you stop asking me about it?" the child said. "I will call her. I just need to – find the right words. I like her, but – I just need to be myself."

"Alright, I'll leave that to you. I'll go call Professor Elm for you and let him know you're alright. Now, try to rest, you've had quite the adventure already," the nurse said.

The child didn't reply verbally, but nodded, and shifted in bed a little, as if preparing to sleep. The totodile was already dozing, and as I watched the nurse leave, I almost followed her. But the child called to me again, and I hesitated, unsure why I didn't just leave. 

"Hey, geodude, why don't you want to evolve? I'd want to evolve if I were a pokémon. I'd love to be able to change my body. I hate the one I've got. It's going to start changing soon, or so granny said, and start doing things I don't want it to do. I wish I could change my body into something else. I might be happier then," the child said. "Would you like to come with me? I-I don't really know how to catch pokémon, not yet, but you saved me, and I'd like to be friends? You can warn me when I'm about to step on exploding rocks." 

I rose to the bed again and considered the child in front of me. I'd never wanted a trainer, but this child clearly needed company, and someone more experienced to guide them. But whether that should be me, I wasn't certain. 

"I won't make you evolve, I promise, if that's what you're worried about. You want to be the way you are, and so do I. I can be myself out here, now that I'm away from home. You can call me Charlie, if you like. That's what I call myself. I'm a boy, and my name is Charlie, and I'll be a good trainer, I promise," the child said, sensing my hesitation.

In the end, I left the child there. I'd resisted being captured by trainers all my life. I wasn't about to start with a small child who couldn't tell a geodude from a regular rock. I had my own charges to take care of, and I returned to the mountain. It calls us all back in the end, that ancient echo drawing us all back to where we once came from. 

I didn't see Charlie again for almost a week. I hadn't expected to see him again, because they never come back here. The trainers who come in here to catch pokémon leave for Violet City and never come back here. But just before noon, Charlie and his totodile returned, standing in front of the gatehouse. I was higher up the mountain, and one of the younger ones told me he was here. I went down to meet him, wondering why he'd come back. 

"Battle me! I know you wouldn't come with me back at the Pokémon Centre, but I'm prepared now. I've done some training, and I'm ready to battle you. If I win, will you come with me? I'd really like to have you with me on my team," Charlie said.

I must admit I was impressed by how much his confidence had grown. Still, I wasn't sure even his totodile could best me. I was both older and stronger, much stronger. A paltry water gun from a young totodile wasn't going to trouble me. Still, a contest is a contest, and our kind are very competitive. I couldn't resist the challenge, even if it wasn't one I was going to lose. 

"Alright, human, let's see how much you've improved," I said, preparing for battle. 

The totodile looked aloof and distracted, but I wasn't about to write it off just yet. Humans are not always honest when it comes to catching pokémon, and if he wanted to catch me that badly, he may very well have something prepared that would trap me. But I had my own defence against being cornered, and I'd explode in his face again if he wanted to trick me. 

Perhaps if it had been anyone else, I'd have attacked first and sent them running, but I waited this time. I watched the totodile look at Charlie, waiting for him to tell him what to do. 

"Alright, Totodile, use water gun! Just like we practiced, remember?" Charlie said.

The totodile grinned and leapt into the air, using the momentum to shoot water down at me. I got caught by it, but he wasn't fast enough to dodge the sand I flung back up at him. I heard the totodile cry out as it landed, panicking, as it tried to rub the sand out of its eyes. 

"No, use the water, like I told you! Wash it out!" Charlie said. 

I raised my defences in preparation, watching the totodile attempt to wash the sand out of its eyes with its own jet of water. After a few attempts it did manage to succeed, and it had given me enough time to completely raise my defences to the point where not even a hydro pump from that pokémon was going to do me any harm at all. 

"Come on, then. Do your worst," I taunted. I wanted to see what this trainer was made of. 

"Water Gun! Again!" Charlie said.

I kept my eyes on the totodile and dodged out of the way as it tried to blast me with water. Its attack had certainly grown stronger since the last time we met, but it wouldn't be enough to defeat me. It tried again, and again, and got me a few times, but it did nothing to wear me down. 

"Pokéball, go!" Charlie cried, throwing the ball towards me.

"You're not ready for me, kid. Come back when you're older," I said, deflecting the ball before it had a chance to capture me. I kept on the defensive, waiting for the right moment to unleash an earthquake and send them running.

Charlie didn't back down; I avoided three more attempts to capture me, and that was the point I decided to end it. His totodile couldn't touch me, and it was flailing around, unsure what to do. I lowered my hand to the ground, and began to summon up an earthquake. I didn't want to make it a very big one, because that didn't seem fair, but just strong enough to make them back off. 

"No, no, please, don't explode! I just wanted to be your friend! Please. Just listen. Will you listen, please?" Charlie said, feeling the ground begin to tremble.

The totodile cried out and fell over as I decided what to do, the tremors becoming a little stronger. Even Charlie fell to his knees, reaching for the ground as if it might stop it happening. 

I stopped when I heard him crying, his hands clutching the grass tightly. I felt I'd made my point. The totodile lay there dazed, gazing up at the sky. It would be fine in a while, once the confusion left it. 

"Alright, I'm listening," I said to Charlie as I approached him.

"I know I'm only just starting out, and you're too strong for me, I know, but you saved me, and I just want to be friends. I don't have any friends. My parents died ages ago, that's why I live with my grandmother, but she doesn't have any time for me. She-she calls me by the name my mother gave me, but that's not who I am. I can name myself now. I can travel and make friends with pokémon and no one has to know that name. I can dress however I like and call myself whatever I like and no one cares. You don't want to evolve, because you don't want to change. Well, I wish I could evolve so I could change my body. Things are happening now, bad things, but I have my totodile, and I'd like to have you, too, if you'd come with me. I don't know why I came back here. I guess I just wanted to prove myself to a pokémon who seemed to care about me and took care of me. I don't know what might've happened if you hadn't been there and send the nurse to me. I know I was bleeding. Maybe I'd have died out there. Maybe that wouldn't have been such a bad thing. And you didn't need to save me at all, but you did, and maybe we could be friends?" Charlie said. 

He didn't look at me. I watched his body heave with his sobs, keeping his head lowered as if he was ashamed to look at me. He took out another pokéball, but kept in his hands. I eyed him warily, just in case he thought he could still catch me.

"This is my last pokéball. I couldn't even catch one pokémon by myself. Dad always said I'd be useless as a trainer. Said I didn't have enough passion for it. But I never wanted to be like him. I knew I'd never be good enough to be a gym leader, but I still wanted to be with pokémon. But he got hurt real bad during a battle once, and that's how he died, and mum never really forgave him for it. She wouldn't even let me go near pokémon, in case I ran off like he did and become a trainer. But then she died, too, and everything was just so sad for a long time. My gran wanted me to finish school and go to university, but I just needed to get away. Once I had my trainer licence, I got my totodile and left. No one's going to let me forge my own path, not if I stay back home. So I have to leave and be myself and maybe you'd come with me too? I don't know why, but I kept dreaming about taking you with me. But if you want to stay here with the mountain, I'd understand too. Maybe I'll come back when I'm stronger and you'll fight me then. Maybe I can win you over then," Charlie said.

I listened to him, like I said I would. He sounded so hurt and scared. He seemed to know what he wanted to do, but wasn't sure he could actually achieve it. Perhaps he did need me more than my charges did. But to submit to being captured, to put myself under the control of a trainer, however young... 

I'd heard things about captured pokémon. How it changes them, and binds them forever to trainers. That they can't go back to the wild after being in a pokéball if they're there too long because they've learnt to be dependent on trainers. He wasn't experienced enough to control me yet, either, not if I belonged to him. Would it even be worth it if he couldn't battle with me until he was strong enough? 

I touched his hand, and looked at the pokéball. I still wasn't sure. I could agree to go with him, but to go inside that ball as well... No. One day, he would battle me and win, and I'd let myself be captured, but not that day. Not then. Not when he wasn't ready. 

I pushed the pokéball away. "Not now. But I will come with you. Someone needs to look out for you, and your totodile isn't quite up to the task just yet," I said.

He misread my action as a rejection, and withdrew, crying into his hands. This is another reason why their inability to understand us causes so many problems. I touched his arm. He looked down at me and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. 

"When will I ever be good enough for you? I just want to take you with me, but I'm not strong enough to catch you. Maybe I'll have better luck elsewhere. But I really wanted to bring you with me. You saved me. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" Charlie said.

I brought him into a hug, hoping that would tell him what I wanted to say. Surprisingly, he hugged me back, tighter than I was expecting, and I felt his tears dampen my rocky body. 

"Please come with me. Please say yes. Don't leave me out here alone with my totodile. I just want to be friends," Charlie said.

"Then let's be friends. I'll come with you. One day, we'll have a proper battle, but for now, I'll come with you," I said.

He started crying again then, but he sounded happier. Perhaps he had finally understood me. I'm not sure I'll ever know. I nodded when he looked at me, trying to convey my acceptance. I think he understood then. I think he even smiled as he held me tight. 

It was hard to say goodbye to the mountain, but it would still be there, no matter where I was. The energy I sensed from it said as much, and I left my own reply, before I left with Charlie and the totodile. 

It took a while for us to get used to each other. I'd never spent that much time around humans, and he had to get used to the fact I was still a wild pokémon. But he always introduced me as his friend, and perhaps he gained some respect for befriending such a strong pokémon and that I travelled willingly with him, even though I wasn't captured, and wouldn't battle for him. 

He was certainly happier once we left Cherrygrove City, and began our journey together. I watched his confidence grow, and he would say his name with more assurance. He caught a few more pokémon: a sentret, a hoothoot, and a pidgey. But he could still have had that totodile and me, and he would've been happy enough with that. I'd sleep beside him, half-buried in the ground so I could watch for trouble, and he'd always make sure he was touching me. He'd rest his hand on my body, or gently curl his fingers around my arm or hand, just to reassure himself I was still there. He didn't love his totodile any less, but as long as I was there, he was happy. 

There were many long conversations during those first few weeks, when the fire was low, and we were chasing sleep. He talked about his life at home, and how his body was changing, and how he wished for a coldstone of his own to stop his body changing, if he couldn't evolve it into what he wanted it to be. I wasn't sure coldstones really worked on humans, but it was then that I could sympathise with his experience. He didn't want to change, and I didn't want to change. He touched my coldstone, and I could see the pain in his eyes. Pokémon could stop evolution, but humans couldn't. I let him hold me, and tried to get him through the night. Perhaps we aren't so different, after all.


End file.
